Veterans Awareness Month: LHU host first Veteran expo

LHU is hosting the first Veterans Expo on Friday, Nov. 13 from 10-3 P.M. in the Rec center to support and honor local veterans and their families by providing them with resources.

Veterans day is held every year on Nov. 11 to celebrate the ending of World War 1 on the 11th hour of the 11th day on the 11th month in 1918.

In honor of Veteran’s day, the LHU Veteran’s Advisory Group wanted to do something to honor veterans on campus and in the community. The Clinton County PA Department of Veterans Affairs does an annual expo in June and the Veteran’s Advisory Group here at LHU thought it would be a good idea to also host one near Veteran’s Day.

Kristin Vincenzes, assistant professor and Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Director, said “After the group decided to have an Expo I volunteered to coordinate the Expo with the amazing help of Kellie Forziate.” Forziate is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program specializing in Military, Veterans and their families.

There are many different reasons why the event is being held, it isn’t just to support our local veterans. It is also to provide resources for the veterans and their families because a lot of information that they need isn’t easily found. The community is also very important to the purpose of this event. They want to get the community more involved in supporting the veterans and their families.

NPDOC via flickr.com

At the expo, there will be a place set up for anyone attending to sign Christmas cards or just write a simple thank you note that will be given to local veterans in nursing homes. Attendees will also be able to sign up for Team Red White and Blue, which is a group of people who encourage veterans and community members to work together to support veterans. A local veteran will also be recognized at the expo at around 11 A.M.

There will be at least 26 vendors in attendance at the expo including, counseling centers, VA medical centers, VFW benefit center, Canine Partners for Life, Clinton County Women’s center and many more. Also, at the top of every hour during the expo, free t-shirts will be given away.

The expo isn’t the only thing LHU is doing to honor the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces. During the whole month of November, veterans only need their military ID for free admission to any of the LHU sporting events. Along with that, on Wednesday there was a Veterans Day Celebration at the Durrwachter Alumni